The Lunch Trick That Takes Off Pounds

Eat what you want and still lose weight with this simple lunch swap.

By More.com Health Editors

Photograph: Juanmonino

Want to lose weight without feeling like you’re dieting? Simply cut calories at your midday meal, suggests a recent Cornell University study. For two weeks study participants were allowed to eat as much as they wanted at a buffet for all their meals and snacks. During the following two weeks, they ate a 200-calorie packaged food, such as a Kashi bar or Lean Pocket, for lunch, and whatever they wanted from the buffet during other mealtimes. Researchers found that on low-calorie lunch days participants consumed 245 fewer calories—losing an average of 1.1 pounds each in two weeks. “The prevailing notion is that if you create a deficit, you’re going to make up for it later,” says David A. Levitsky, PhD, lead author and a professor of nutrition at Cornell University. “In this study, we found no evidence of any compensation.”